He brought her up to Karen’s garage door, and she slipped off his back and pulled the handle. The door slid up and they ran inside, closing it firmly behind them. The connecting door to the kitchen was open, and at the sound of their arrival Karen poked her head through.
“Nice of you to stop by,” she said, then ran over to Madison and enveloped her in a hug. “Thank you so much.” Her voice cracked as she burst into tears, and she clung onto Madison for a long time. Then she stepped back. “And thank you so much,” she said to Brock a little awkwardly, as if unsure how to address a bear.
“We should probably leave him alone to shift,” Madison said, guiding her sister back into the kitchen.
The kitchen was full of people, all drinking steaming cups of tea. Sophia and Marina were on a small sofa, wrapped in thick blankets; Elsbeth was sitting on a chair, with Abbey standing next to her, an arm around her shoulder, and Grayson and Riley were leaning against the counter, chatting to everyone. The guys were wearing dressing gowns, and Madison was reminded that everyone’s clothes were still in her backpack.
“Auntie Madison!” Abbey yelled when she saw her, running up and wrapping her arms around her in a fierce hug.
“Darling! I’m so glad you’re ok!” Elsbeth exclaimed, and Madison went over and kissed her.
“How was the journey down the mountain?” Madison said, turning to Sophia and Marina.
“It was sooo exciting!” they said at the same time. Madison laughed.
“I would’ve thought you’d be too cold to appreciate it,” she said.
“Nuh-uh!” Marina said, her eyes like saucers.
“Just remember what we talked about – as a mark of gratitude for us rescuing your asses – you’re not going to tell anyone that we’ve got pet bears,” Grayson said with a wink.
“We won’t mention it to anybody, cross my heart,” Sophia said, looking chastened.
“And how about those boyfriends of yours?”
“They’re not our boyfriends,” both girls said, faces screwed up in disgust. “And we never want to talk to them again.”
“Probably wise, if that’s their idea of showing you a good time,” Riley said, and they giggled, cheeks pinking. He was really handsome and charming, and Madison could see why Karen was drawn to him. But for her, no-one compared to Brock. The way he’d dealt with the entire situation – his calm, logical and clearheaded attitude – had made her like him even more. And there had been something incredibly intense about riding on his back, being close to him, which wasn’t diminished by the fact he’d been in his bear form. They’d also had a moment – almost a moment – up in the cabin, where she’d thought he was going to kiss her. She badly wished he had.
Right on cue, he came through the door from the garage, looking gorgeous in a button-down plaid shirt and jeans. The top buttons were undone, revealing a wisp of dark chest hair and a hint of bulging pecs. Madison could have swooned. He was so damn sexy. He caught her eye and they exchanged a secret smile.
“Looks like everyone got home in one piece,” he said.
“Yup. But I think that’s enough exercise for me for the entire festive season,” Grayson said.
“And the boys?”
“Yeah, I called their mothers,” Karen said. “They’re currently tucked up in bed. But I don’t think Santa will be bringing them anything this year. Both sets of mothers sounded irate, and apologized to everybody for all the trouble.”
“Well, hopefully this has taught them an important life lesson anyway,” Elsbeth said.
“Oh, everyone has to make mistakes when they’re young and foolish,” Grayson said, twinkling at her, and Madison swore that she saw her unflappable mother blush. What is it with these bears? They seem to be reducing all the women in this family to dizzy teenagers, she thought.
The doorbell rang and Karen went to answer it, bringing Marina’s mom back with her.
Marina flew into her arms and started crying.
“Mom, I’m so sorry!” she wailed.
“It’s ok, honey, I’m just glad you’re safe,” her mom murmured, stroking her head. “Now, who do I have to thank for saving Marina?”
“Brock, Grayson and Riley,” Marina said, pointing each one out.
“There’s nothing to thank us for,” Grayson said, dipping his head.
“That’s not true. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you did. I dread to think what would have happened if you hadn’t been brave enough to go out into the snow like that.” The three guys looked embarrassed, hiding their faces in their mugs of tea, and Madison shivered, as the woman voiced the thought that had been running through her own mind.
“Ok, let’s go and leave these kind people in peace,” Marina’s mom said.
When they’d gone, Karen ran a hot bath for Sophia.
“Can you gentlemen stay for dinner, or do you have someplace you need to be?” she said when she came back down. At her words, the three of them exchanged worried glances.
“Are you ok? Is something wrong?” Madison asked.
“No, nothing,” Brock said. “It’s just that we live over on the other side of the peak – not far from the Christmas tree store – and we’re thinking that it might not be so easy to get back tonight. We should check whether the Misty Hollow motel has any rooms tonight.”
“No,” Madison said firmly. “You’re staying with us. I’ve got a spare bedroom and a nice big couch, and I think you have a spare bed as well, Karen?”
“I sure do!” she said. “It would be an honor to have you all stay with us.” The three bears’ eyes lit up.
“If you’re sure it won’t be any trouble?” Grayson said.
“It would be our pleasure,” Madison said, unable to prevent a grin from spreading across her face. She’d been dreading the moment when they’d leave, and Brock would be gone from her sight.
“In that case, let’s have some mulled wine,” Karen said and dove into her pantry, bringing out another vat of wine. Madison laughed.
“How much have you got in there?” she said.
“Oh, I make a new batch every couple of days,” Karen replied with a wink. She put the wine on the stove and checked on the casserole. An incredible smell hit them as she opened the oven door, combining with the delicious spicy scent of the wine. “Just a couple of additions,” Karen said, and began chopping some more vegetables and putting some potatoes on to cook. Madison figured that Karen had realized that her casserole wasn’t big enough to feed the five of them, plus three hungry bears.
“Did you guys want to get dressed?” she asked to distract them, so they wouldn’t notice the extra effort that was being made and feel bad about it.
“Uh, I guess so,” Grayson said, looking down at the bathrobe as if he’d forgotten that he was wearing it. He and Riley did look very cute and relaxed hanging out in their robes, and she almost regretted that they’d be getting changed.
“Snow’s getting worse, if anything,” she commented to Brock. He stood beside her and gazed out of the window, his closeness making all the hairs on her body stand up. She picked up his scent – a delicious earthy, spicy smell, which made her wish even more that his body was entwined with hers. Her clit gave a little jump and she pressed her thighs together guiltily.
“It sure is. It won’t be easy driving home tomorrow,” he said.
“What are you guys doing for Christmas?”
“It’s just the three of us – my parents have moved out west and the drive over there is too much, so we already agreed that I’d spend Christmas with Uncle Grayson and Riley. Christmas has never been a big deal in our family, to be honest, so we’ll just have a big dinner and watch some movies, I guess.”
“What do you have for Christmas dinner?” Abbey piped up, saving her. Brock rubbed the back of his head.
“Uh, deer, rabbit. Whatever we catch. But we haven’t been out for it yet, so it’s going to be a little last minute. What about you guys?”
“We have a goose
. It’s an old family tradition. Except I haven’t got to enjoy it for a couple of years, as I’ve ended up stuck in Chicago, working on a massively important deal,” she said in a sarcastic tone, blowing her bangs off her forehead. “Never again. I’m too big a fan of Christmas to spend it eating Chinese takeout at 10pm.”
“Sounds like you won’t miss Chicago,” Brock said, with a smile.
“Nope. Not one bit. I’m just glad to be back here. And I don’t intend to move away again.”
“What made you leave?”
“A divorce.”
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“I’m not,” she said and laughed. There was a question on his lips that he was too polite to voice. “My ex-husband and I just grew apart. It was nothing dramatic. I’m just glad we had the courage to admit it to ourselves.” He nodded understandingly. Was there a flash of eagerness in his eyes? she wondered.
“Do you guys have significant others?” she continued, trying to keep her tone casual, but cringing at the tightness in her voice.
“Nope. Riley and I haven’t found our mates yet, and Uncle Grayson lost his mate a few years back, and he’s intent on becoming a grumpy old bear.” Madison laughed loudly to conceal the excitement jumping through her veins. He’s single! But how is that possible when he’s the most ridiculously amazing guy I’ve ever met? She pressed her lips together before she asked an embarrassing question like, “aren’t there many single lady bears in Misty Hollow?”
The guys came back wearing their shirts and pants.
“Why don’t you all take a seat at the table, and then we can relax and chat?” Karen called from the stove.
“I think that’s a splendid idea,” Elsbeth said. “Abbey, would you pass me those darn crutches, so I can hobble over?” Grayson ran his eyes over Elsbeth’s bandaged leg.
“I’d be very happy to lift you over there, if you’d permit me?” he offered.
“Oh –” Elsbeth worked her jaw, looking a little taken aback. “Actually, yes, if you wouldn’t mind,” she said at last. Grayson nodded, and, in a swift movement, he bent to her, lifted her up very easily and carried her over to the big kitchen table on the other side of the open-plan kitchen diner.
“Now, where would madam like to be seated?” he asked grinning at her.
“Here, please,” she said, pointing to a chair at the side of the table.
“Sure, but I think as the queen and matriarch of the household, you should have the prime spot here?” He moved over to the end of the table, where there was a big, carver-style chair.
“Okay, yes, that would be lovely,” Elsbeth said, pink and flustered. He deposited her carefully, making sure that her leg didn’t bump against anything. Brock, Madison and Abbey came and sat down too, while Riley stayed with Karen in the kitchen.
“This is a lovely place,” Grayson said, looking around the room. It was their childhood house, and Madison loved it. The kitchen diner was huge and rustic, with wooden beams, and a big, old kitchen table. The floor had flagstone tiles and the walls were hung with a mixture of local artists’ paintings and paintings they’d done themselves as kids. It was a warm, cozy space.
“Do you like the Christmas decorations?” Abbey demanded.
“They’re great,” Brock said with a grin, looking at the strings of brightly-colored foil decorations spanning the walls. All the potted plants were wrapped in tinsel, as were many other random objects.
“I did all the tinsel,” Abbey said proudly.
“You did a fantastic job.” Brock smiled at her, and Madison’s heart twinged at his knack of knowing exactly how to speak to her. He’ll be a great dad someday, she thought, and then she mentally slapped herself. What’s wrong with you?
“Mom and Sophia did all the other decorations, because I’m not big enough to stand on the ladder yet.”
“Aw, your turn will come soon enough,” Brock said, looking at her fondly.
“Ok, guys, it’s ready,” Karen called. Madison jumped up and went to get Sophia. She came downstairs all pink and damp from her bath, and looking very sheepish. She’d evidently been doing some thinking while she was by herself. She slid into her seat quietly, instead of arguing about where she should sit, as she usually did.
Madison went into the kitchen and ladled out some more cups of mulled wine, and Karen brought the casserole to the table. It smelled incredible. As Karen took her seat, Madison noticed that she was glowing, her eyes brighter than she’d seen them for years. She’d heard Karen and Riley laughing a lot in the kitchen. Now she watched them covertly as they exchanged a couple of glances. She crossed her fingers under the table, hoping very much that they’d end up getting together.
They did a toast with the mulled wine, then everyone started eating ravenously. With all the drama of the day, it was gone 10pm, and the pretzel Madison had eaten at the parade seemed like a very long time ago.
“Wow, this is incredible, Karen,” Grayson said. “Best meal I’ve eaten in I don’t know how long.”
“It’s delicious,” Brock and Riley agreed.
“You’re a fantastic cook,” Riley said, and Karen beamed.
“I taught her everything she knows,” Elsbeth said, with an ironic expression on her face and everyone laughed. “What do you gentlemen usually cook at home?” she said, speaking to everyone, but looking at Grayson as she spoke. Madison could tell that her mom was captivated by the handsome, witty older man, with his dashing silver hair and rugged good looks.
“We bears usually exist on a pretty basic diet,” Grayson said. “We’ve got barbecuing down, and I can do a nice marinade or two when I make the effort. But that’s pretty much the limit.”
“In that case, I’m very glad that we’re able to provide you with a nice home-cooked meal. Even though I unfortunately haven’t been able to assist with it this time around.”
“Yes, mom, thank you,” Karen said, laughing.
“Well, I can’t believe it’s Christmas Eve tomorrow – although I think I say that every year,” Brock said.
“Me neither. It kind of rushes up on you,” Madison said.
“I hope everyone’s done their Christmas shopping. Otherwise, it might be a little late,” he said, glancing towards the window. The snow hadn’t stopped, and was virtually coming down in sheets. Even going back to her place two streets away would be an effort.
They all emptied their plate and the bears had seconds. Karen had correctly anticipated just how much they’d need to eat. The conversation continued when they’d finished eating, with no-one in a hurry to leave the table, although everyone kept yawning. It felt like a cozy, relaxed family dinner, as if everyone had known each other far longer than they had. The guys were lively conversationalists, constantly cracking jokes at each other’s expense. They talked about their business, explaining that Brock worked as a tree surgeon and Riley and Grayson worked as carpenters during the summer.
“The Christmas tree thing was just to tide us over during the freezing months, but it’s actually become our biggest earner. So much so that we might get to take a couple of months off next summer,” Grayson said.
“Will you go on vacation?” Abbey asked.
“Yeah, we’ll probably do a lot of hunting and fishing, but that’s nothing new,” Brock said with a grin. Abbey looked a little confused. Madison thought how she’d always known about shifters. She’d understood that it wasn’t something to share with people who lived outside of the town, but it hadn’t been a secret apart from that. It had just been an alternative identity. It seemed sad that it had now become something to conceal from the younger generations.
When the mulled wine was finished, Madison got up from the table.
“Time for bed, I think,” she said. “So who’s coming with me?” The wine made her sound casual, but inside she felt anything but.
“Well, I think mom should stay here tonight. There’s no way we can take the chair out in the snow.”
“Oh, I’d be very happy to bring you across,
if you’d like?” Grayson offered. Elsbeth’s face took on the gracious expression it’d had when he brought her to her chair earlier.
“Well, there are a couple of things that I really need back home,” she said.
“I’ll take you,” Grayson said. “It’ll be my pleasure.”
“And I’ve got room for one more,” Madison said, her heart beating fast.
Brock got to his feet.
“That’ll be me,” he said with a grin. Madison saw Karen shoot a glance at Riley. Only a sister would have known that she was also excited and nervous to have a man she was attracted to staying under her roof.
“Ok, let’s go,” Madison said. “Night, Karen, kids, Riley.” Everyone said goodnight, and she picked up her mom’s crutches and made for the front door. Grayson swept Elsbeth into his arms as easily as he’d done earlier, and Madison mused that she’d never seen her mom looking so young and girlish before.
“It’s just around the corner,” she called to the guys as they walked out into the blizzard, the freezing, wet air lashing their faces. Grayson had wrapped Elsbeth’s coat right over her head so she was protected from the elements.
A few long minutes later, they burst into Madison’s place, gasping from the shock of the cold.
“Brutal,” Brock concluded, pulling his boots off.
“It is,” Madison said. Her face was stinging and her lungs burned.
“Where can I bring you, Elsbeth?” Grayson asked.
“One floor up, if you wouldn’t mind,” she replied.
Grayson clumped up the stairs with his bundle, leaving Brock and Madison alone together, in front of the Christmas tree. They turned to face each other, and the tension in the air seemed almost palpable.
“Beautiful tree,” he said.
“Thanks!”
“And thanks again for having me stay.”
“Anytime.” She should have showed him where the spare room was, but instead, they continued to stand stock-still, holding each other’s gaze. Brock’s beautiful, intense eyes seemed to burn into hers, making her feel lightheaded. He took a step forward, bringing him within two feet of her. Her heart hammered in her chest and she fought the urge to look away, but somehow she managed to keep looking into those dark pools of eyes.
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